KMC spots 69 places to build public toilets

KATHMANDU, March 5: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has identified 69 places for constructing public toilets.

The public toilets will be constructed at places which are often crowded with dense presence of people, according to Dhurba Kafle, chief of KMC Public-Private Partnership Unit.

A task force formed on January 20 for construction of public toilets identified the locations. The places identified so far for this purpose are in front of the Nepal Art Council at Babarmahal, Thapathali bus stop, in front of Baneshwar temple, towards the east of Koteshwar Chowk, in front of the National Trading Limited at Teku, near theKalanki Metro Hall, Balaju, Baisdhara, Sitapaila bus stop and Machhapokhari.

Similarly, public toilet would be constructed at Gaushala, Teenkune, Tripureshwar, Sundhara, NAC, near the Juddha Statue, Hanumandhoka, Jamal, Lainchaur, Sohrakhutte, Balkhu and Kuleshwar in the first phase.

Fifty-eight public toilets are currently in operation in Kathmandu. Out of these toilets, 28 are usable while the rest are unusable and need to be repaired.

Many of the existing public toilets lack facilities like water, soap, light and sanitary pads, Kafle said.

Although KMC had set the objective of constructing smart toilet at 41 various places within the city since two years back, works to that connection have not been started yet.

KMC mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, last April, directed all the KMC wards to identify places for constructing smart toilets.